13-year-old Willis Gibson is believed to have defeated the Nintendo game Tetris.
Willis Gibson
via KJRH-TV
Willis Gibson, a 13-year-old competitive Tetris player prodigy from Oklahoma, advanced so far in the original Nintendo version of the game that it froze and his score read “999999.”
My fingers
via TODAY
“I can’t feel my fingers,” he said afterward.
Blue Scuti
via Blue Scuti
Born January 27, 2010, Gibson is also known online as Blue Scuti. He is an American classic Tetris player from Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Previously-unreached level
via Blue Scuti
Gibson “beat” the game on December 21, 2023. He triggered a “killscreen” on the previously-unreached level 157. This caused the game to crash.
Videos on YouTube
via TODAY
Gibson explains that he became interested in Tetris at 11 years old after he watched videos on YouTube.
Participated in tournaments
via Blue Scuti
He pursued the game competitively and participated in tournaments including the Classic Tetris World Championship in 2023.
The ‘rolling technique’
via TODAY
Gibson adopted the “rolling technique” to move the game pieces faster.
Third place
via TODAY
He finished in third place at the Classic Tetris World Championship in 2023.
The game’s killscreen
via TODAY
Fellow Tetris players, including Justin Yu, began to attempt to reach the game’s killscreen.
Ultimately successful
via New York Post
This sparked Gibson’s interest who followed suit. Gibson was ultimately successful.
AI and tool assistance
via Blue Scuti
The killscreen had only been reached by AI and tool assistance.
‘Dusk’ and ‘Charcoal’
via Blue Scuti
To improve, Gibson practiced playing “Dusk” and “Charcoal”, two levels considered to be the hardest in the game.
Dark and distorted
via Blue Scuti
The difficult levels includes dark and distorted hues of the blocks caused by a late-game glitch.
Playing style
via Blue Scuti
Gibson’s playing style was described as “aggressive.” He started using a hypertapping technique in 2021.
Faster Rolling
via Blue Scuti
He later discovered the faster rolling technique and changed his playing style.
Skill, aggression, and mastery
via Blue Scuti
Gibson’s success is a combination of skill, aggression, and mastery of the rolling technique.
Rolling and tapping
via Blue Scuti
Gibson often plays with the controller on his right foot balanced against his left knee. He uses his right hand to perform the rolling and tapping actions.
The friction
via Blue Scuti
He also wears a glove on his right hand to reduce the friction of the repeated actions.
